First, Soulquarians like D'angelo, Erykah Badu and Jill Scott brought R&B music back to its roots after a long deprivation of soul. Then came a new wave of soul brothas and sistas like Bilal, Alicia Keys and India.Arie.
Now, as the generations progress and R&B develops its new subgenre, neo-soul, more artists are trying to jump on the bandwagon. Sadly, not everyone has successfully made that leap. Some have been left in the dust and will gain that unfortunate title: the one hit wonder.
It's hard for me to predict whether Missy Elliott's protegee, Tweet, will fall under this category. Born Charlene Keys, you've heard her voice on Timbaland and Magoo's "All Y'all" from their latest album, "Indecent Proposal." Her link with Missy is from earlier days when they were both struggling to get their foot in the music industry door. After establishing herself and completing her third album, Missy was able to help her old friend sign with Gold Mind Inc./Elektra Records.
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The New York native (yes, I said New York) is quite capable of both writing and singing her way into the studio, being that she wrote most of the lyrics on "Southern Hummingbird," her debut album. Surprisingly, Tweet is more than a voice laced with Timbaland. With her single, "Oops (Oh My)," she at first seemed like another R&B singer lucky enough to have found the right beat. Although it's your typical catchy Timbaland production, you can't help but get sucked into the hook.
Tweet guides us through Masturbation 101 with lyrics that reinvent the Divinyls' "I Touch Myself." What's got even more depth is the remix of this song called "Sexual Healing," cut with the help of Murda Inc. rapper Vita. Somehow, Tweet manages to make the lyrics more intense than the original. Although its club-bumping quality has definitely made a name for the new artist, the remaining upbeat tracks fall short.
With "Make Ur Move," Tweet takes a stab at recreating the movie soundtrack (teenybopper) music of the 1980s. Nice try, but after Mariah Carey's many desperate attempts it is better left alone. What's worse is Tweet's try at another club tune with the somewhat forgettable "Boogie 2nite." Claiming to have "found a place where we can boogie," she fails to find the song with which to do it. These tracks could have stood in the studio longer for more developments. Needless to say, Tweet's upbeat tracks are not what even begin to make her album.
The ballads on "Southern Hummingbird" are what define Tweet's musical ability. In the hypnotic "Drunk," her breathy vocals will get you reminiscing about Prince and the Revolution - she recaptures the mystic quality that hits from "Purple Rain" introduced. As an avid Prince supporter, I'm not mad at Tweet's second run-in with the 1980s - it's a successful attempt. She continues with this Prince-ish vibe on "Best Friend," a collaboration with fellow R&B artist Bilal. I can't help but be captivated by his dynamic voice, which is so distinct it drowns out the other half of the duet. Despite Tweet's more frequent verses, I still focus on who I shouldn't: Bilal.
Tweet regains her musical status on "Heaven," a song whose title accurately suggests its soundscape. The rhythmic yet unpredictable beat almost makes me renege the "Missy's protegee" comment.
Adding more spice to the mix is some acoustic flavor, featured on a few songs like "Smoking Cigarettes" and "Motel," an ode to the victims of cheating. With these two tracks, Tweet shows she has more to offer than notable vocal skills.
The last song on "Southern Hummingbird" that strikes my attention is another love ballad. "Beautiful" has a nice piano accompaniment that meshes well with Tweet's melodies. It's one of those midday chill songs to which you just want to kick back.
Is she a one hit wonder? Hopefully not, the list is already long enough. In a time before Lauryn Hill, Maxwell and newer artists like Glenn Lewis, Tweet would have had a definite initiation into R&B's hall of fame. Altogether her debut isn't a disappointment, but if R&B's newest songstress wants to reach the neo-soul bandwagon, she'll have to fly higher next time.
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